This was my favorite gift of the season! It was really fun letting my friends select the charity. I received such great responses from everyone! It seemed like the recipients took their time selecting the "perfect" charity and most times those charities were close to their hearts. Thank you for such a great idea!

-Joan

I can truly say I have never received a gift that has touched me more.

-Anonymous Grade School Teacher

What a great idea. This solves the good intent of wanting to donate on a person's behalf but the awkwardness of not knowing if they would appreciate what you pick. It makes both parties active in the process! Great business/philanthropic model!

-Jamie C.

We had our company holiday party and distributed the charity card. It was amazing! The comments were just stunning -- this meant so much to our employees and the messages that they sent to the CEO were so touching. We had not anticipated how special this would be.

-CJ

It's not just the funding. Yes, the Charity Gift Cards provide us with a new source of financial support that we could not otherwise reach. But in addition... we think that Charity Gift Cards can start conversations about philanthropy among friends and family--and increase awareness about National Hospice Foundation and our mission.

-Susan Messina, Director of Development Communications for the National Hospice Foundation

Our family decided to do something instead of exchanging gifts last Christmas and it turned out that all of us participated. Besides the pleasant feeling of doing something for someone who needs it, do you know how much more time you have without Christmas shopping? Everyone felt good about it and we decided to do it again this year. What fun!

-Kansas City, MO

You made my holiday shopping easy and rewarding. I know the gift card recipients will feel the same way.

-Sarah S.

I spoke to a gentleman the other day at TisBest who was so helpful and gracious and friendly and walked me through the whole process. I'm happy that for once I didn't have to deal with an automated voice situation.

-Theresa

I sent TisBest gift cards to my (far-away) sisters and cousins, and nieces and nephews. I thought they’d be great gifts but what I did not appreciate until I stated to receive notes letting me know how they were spent was how much I would learn about the people receiving them Each one is letting me know what they think is important in the world and why. These small insights into their lives and concerns (especially when we’re separated by many miles) are a super gift to me. So thanks, I’ll be giving a bunch more next year!

-Kristin

Thank you, thank you, thank you. I have been looking for the best way to distribute my money this year and this gives me the opportunity to honor the people in my life.

-Randy D.

Thank you for giving me this gift card to save the rare animals.

-Jeremy, five years old

Charity Gift Cards are an important innovation in the charitable giving space. We hope that Charity Gift Cards will continue their growth trajectory, producing new funds, new donors and increasing social engagement in the virtuous goal of helping others.

-Heather Bohannon, Director of Corporate Relations and National Events, Autism Society of America

This concept gives the recipient a personal stake in giving--as they get to choose a cause that is personally meaningful to them. This is a great introduction to philanthropy--especially for children.

-Karen Moyer, The Moyer Foundation, Washington

I work with a lot of professional athletes who always want to give back and this is a perfect way to get them to motivate their fans and teammates to donate. You guys are brilliant!

-Theresa

I am absolutely thrilled to have found your website. Each year I donate money in honor of three children who already have an abundance of wealth. I am definitely going to use TisBest. More importantly, I wish you an abundance of success in your pursuit of this outstanding service. I will definitely spread the message.

-Anonymous

What a great gift! We are having a good time looking at all the different charities we can donate to. It’s making us aware of so many possibilities we didn’t even know about. Thank you so much for such a thoughtful gift!

-Karen

This is absolutely inspiring . . . I often make donations as gifts, but the recipient doesn’t get to choose. This is a great way to involve both parties... it’s totally refreshing.

-Rebecca

With it being the season for giving, I was thinking of ways for employees to give gifts with a tax deduction. My search lead me to your site. With the tax deductible contribution to TisBest Philanthropy it was a win-win situation for the giver, the recipients, and the charities. It's a great idea - thank you for adding the personal choice aspect to the gift card. You are all doing great work!

-Sharon

This has been one of the most wonderful experiences for me, and for our adult children who received and spent their charitable gifts.

-Donald

The web support for the process is extremely well done. Congratulations from a developer in a web business who appreciates good work.

-Bill

This is the best idea anybody ever had for gift giving! Bless the genius who came up with it!

-Celeste

I wanted to thank the people who came up with this idea. The holidays are about giving... but what most people get during this season are wants, when so many here in the US and internationally go without their basic needs met.

-Jenny

This was an awesome experience. Not only does it take one to a thoughtful place, but it gives the ability to learn a great deal about different charities.

-Judy

This is a great way to give gifts with meaning, purpose, and integrity.

Password Requirements:6 or more characters with 1 upper and 1 lowercase letter and 1 number

DiscoverGiving’s research-based curriculum provides students with a powerful opportunity
to practice and model altruism using activities and discussion topics that reinforce
the intrinsic motivations behind giving. Engaging in these prosocial behaviors in
the classroom helps students cultivate compassion and generosity on both a group
and individual level.

At the start of the lesson, students are introduced to philanthropy by reflecting
on ways they or someone they know has shared their time, talent or treasure to create
positive change. Students are amazed to discover many ways they already participate
in philanthropy, such as donating canned food or giving spare change to a person
in need.

The teacher then guides students through making a charitable donation with a TisBest
Charity Gift Card. Students each “spend” a $1.00 charity gift card by choosing a
charity to support in an area of interest to them, such as protecting the rain forest
or endangered species, caring for sick kids, or feeding a hungry family. Through
this hands-on giving experience, students learn that they can make a positive difference
in the world! Charities supported by student donations receive 100% of the funds
from each TisBest Charity Gift Card.

Following the charity gift card activity, students participate in literacy-focused
enrichment activities, each adhering to a Common Core standard. The activities encourage
students to think beyond their $1.00 charity gift card and identify concrete ways
they can continue to make a positive difference in the word around them.

What is DiscoverGiving?

DiscoverGiving is a classroom philanthropy project from TisBest. DiscoverGiving
guides students through a hands-on giving experience using fun, engaging activities
designed to foster altruism and spark a lifelong appreciation for the power of generosity.

Who teaches the DiscoverGiving lesson?

DiscoverGiving lessons are taught by 3rd-6th grade elementary school teachers. Anyone
can purchase a kit and give it to a teacher. The teacher then determines when and
how to integrate the lesson into his or her regular curriculum.

Do I have to be a teacher to order a Classroom Giving Kit?

No. Anyone can purchase a kit and give it to a 3rd-6th grade teacher. To learn more
about sponsoring a classroom, see our Parents or Sponsors section below.

Enrichment Activity #2: Reading
Reading informational text (15 minutes)
Pass out copies of the April 2013 article from the Huffington Post: “Olivia Peters’
Letter Saves Surrey Forest.” Introduce the article by telling the class that this
is a new story about a 12-year-old girl from Canada who was upset that her city
planned to cut down trees near her home, so she decided to do something about it.
Give the students time to read the article, and then ask the following questions
to deepen comprehension and encourage valuable discussion:

“Why did Olivia feel like her voice needed to be heard?”
“Why do you think Olivia’s letter helped change the housing development plans?”
“What inspires you the most about Olivia’s story?”

Does the DiscoverGivng curriculum meet Common Core State Standards?

Yes, participation in the DiscoverGiving lesson and enrichment activities meet the
following Common Core standards:

The following Common Core standards are met by participating in the DiscoverGiving
lesson and enrichment activities:

I’m teaching a DiscoverGiving lesson; will I know which charities my students choose
to support?

Yes. During the redemption process your student is asked to send a note to you explaining
why they chose to support that charity. These notes are automatically emailed to
you the moment your students completes the redemption process.

Do students really get to donate $1 to the charity of their choice?

Yes. Each $1.00 TisBest Charity Gift Card represents one real dollar held by TisBest
Philanthropy. TisBest sends 100% of each student donation to the charity they chose
to support.

What is a TisBest Charity Gift Card?

A TisBest Charity Gift works like any other gift card, except that instead of buying
stuff, the recipient of a charity gift card spends it to support a charity of their
choice. Visit the TisBest homepage to learn more about how you can use a TisBest
Charity Gift Card.

How do the students make their donation?

Students use their TisBest Charity Gift Card through the TisBest website at www.TisBest.org/Kids.
The donation process is secure, and TisBest does not collect personal information
about students during the redemption process. Once TisBest is notified of the student’s
donation, a check or ACH deposit is sent to the charity the student chose to support
during our regular distribution times.

To preview the redemption process, go to www.TisBest.org/Kids and use this demo
code: DE9-AWF

How much of the students’ donations actually go to charity?

Charities supported by student donations receive 100% of the funds from each TisBest
Charity Gift Card.

How do you select the charities you feature on the TisBest website?

TisBest National Chairities
We choose charities with national or international impact that represent a broad
array of interests so that nearly everyone will be able to find an organization
they believe in for their donation. All of our charities receive significant public
support, have demonstrated fiscal and social responsibility and have their official
financial and regulatory data subject to third-party review on guidestar.org or
charitynavigator.org. We generally feature charities with annual revenues or assets
of at least $3 million, and our team reviews the 990 Tax Forms filed by our charities
to ensure fiscal accountability.

TisBest Local Charities

We introduced our Local Charities in 2009. To select Local Charities, we asked Social
Venture Partner chapters and other similar groups to nominate charities from their
region for the Local Charities List. We sought charities that were locally operated,
focused on the local community, were admired by their peers for effectiveness and
fiscal responsibility and operated with a sustainable model.

DiscoverGiving is an awesome program, how can I help spread the word?

The best thing you can do is let your friends and the teachers in your life know
about the DiscoverGiving program. The more people that know about us, the more students
will discover ways they can have a positive impact on the world around them. Please
share your thoughts and encouragement by sending email to
DiscoverGiving@TisBest.org and tell us why you love the program and what
else you would like to see us do. And connect with us and/or share about the program
on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and LinkedIn. Thank you!

Who is TisBest Philanthropy?

TisBest Philanthropy is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to fostering
the growth of non-material gift-giving. TisBest created charity gift cards in 2007.
Charity gift cards work like conventional gift cards, but with one important exception:
the recipient of a charity gift card "spends" it by choosing a charity to receive
the funds.

With a TisBest Charity Gift Card, you make the donation and your recipient decides
how to spend the donation, choosing from TisBest's 300+ charity partners. Learn
more at www.tisbest.org.

The DiscoverGiving Classroom Giving Kit has everything needed to quickly and easily
spark conversation and curiosity in students about philanthropy including:

The cost of a Classroom Giving Kit is $62.00 + $1.00 per student. For example, the
total Kit cost for a classroom of 30 students would be $92.00. Shipping is free,
and your entire DiscoverGiving purchase is tax deductible.

*Classroom Giving Kits are currently available for grades 3-6.

The following Common Core standards are met by participating in the DiscoverGiving
lesson and enrichment activities:

By participating in the DiscoverGiving program, students engage in activities designed
to boost their
levels of happiness and satisfaction and enhance the prosocial behaviors of generosity and compassionate
action.

When K-12 students engage in service learning activities in the classroom, they demonstrate
an increased capacity for learning, a decline in absenteeism, and a stronger connection to their school. Significant health
benefits have been recorded in children who participate in generous behavior including a reduced risk of substance
abuse, depression and suicide in adolescents. Studies of fMRI scans show that giving
to charity relates to increased activity in areas of the brain associated with pleasure,
social connection and trust. Altruism has also been shown to be contagious.
When students give they create a ripple effect of generosity in their school community!

It may not seem like much, a single dollar can accomplish quite a lot. During the
lesson, students are given examples of how far a dollar can go to support a charity’s
mission, helping them to understand the true value of their donation. Plus, the
enrichment activities included in the DiscoverGiving Kit encourage students to reflect
on how it felt to make a difference and helps them identify new ways to impact the
world, empowering each child to become a lifelong world-changer!

Charities supported by student donations receive 100% of the funds from each $1.00
TisBest Charity Gift Card. Together the dollars in a classroom can have an even
bigger impact. A classroom with 25 students will spend $25 benefitting a wide range
of charitable organizations. Multiplying that times 1,000 DiscoverGiving classrooms
means $25,000 in charitable donations to important causes. Together, DiscoverGiving
students can make a significant financial impact within the nonprofit community
and make the world a better place.

Reading informational text (20 minutes)
Pass out copies of the April 2013 article from the Huffington Post: “Olivia Peters’
Letter Saves Surrey Forest.” Introduce the article by telling the class that this
is a new story about a 12-year-old girl from Canada who was upset that her city
planned to cut down trees near her home, so she decided to do something about it.
Give the students time to read the article, and then ask the following questions
to deepen comprehension and encourage valuable discussion:

“Why did Olivia feel like her voice needed to be heard?” “Why do you think Olivia’s
letter helped change the housing development plans?” “What inspires you the most
about Olivia’s story?”

TisBest Philanthropy WebsiteVersion: 2014.20

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